Review Detail

4.7 32

The Book Thief

Young Adult Fiction 1248

Excellent Tale

November 05, 2020

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

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Characters

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Writing Style

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Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

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This book was so good that I cried in the end. Yes, literally. Markus Zusak's writing is clear, bold, and engaging. After I read the book, I researched Zusak and learned that the book is actually based on his mother's story about how she and her family barely survived living in Germany during Hitler's reign and World War II. He said it was a story he felt compelled to write, even if no one ever read it. Once I learned this, I had more appreciation for his novel. One of my favorite books of all time, and I'm a voracious reader.

Good Points

So well-written. The story hooks the reader right from the beginning (who wouldn't pay attention to Death as the Narrator?) and has them turning pages to the end. Wonderful variety of characters who interact with each other, building tension as the story progresses. Great plot and subplots. True-to-life details helps create strong visuals/setting as to what life was like during World War II in Nazi-ruled Germany for German citizens.